I know I haven’t even graduated yet but I already feel so nostalgic about college. They really weren’t kidding when they said that college is the best and fastest 4 years of your life- they certainly were for me. My college life has got to be the most colorful chapter in my life so far, filled with ups and downs, laughs and cries and a whole lot of things in between. I decided to make a blog entry on just a few things I learned in college, and what college has taught me. Take note, the pictures here are all from my first year in college until my last, so not only is there a change in hair but in outfits (some were just so horrible) as well! Haha :)

College is a place where you meet new people- TONS of new people

(Freshman Year Orsem, the first time I met my “twin” Lexa)

I love meeting new people. I love talking to people and I love making people laugh. Something I loved about college was that I got to meet a whole new bunch of awesome people. I got to meet new boys and girls and made tons of new friends from different schools. It’s amazing how many different kinds of people you’ll meet in college. You’ll learn so many new things from them and about yourself. It was a refreshing thing about college- I got to meet people very different from the girls in my high school.

From athletes to dorks (and I say this lovingly) to gays (again, lovingly saying this) and homophobes (not saying this as lovingly, you’d think that by being in college people would be more mature and accepting of those different from the “norm”) to the meanest people and the kindest, college really opened my eyes and prepared me for all the different types of people I will meet all throughout my life.

College is a place where you learn to stand on your own

(And naka pose pa si teh HAHA)

Because I love people so much and I love being around people, I always in some way, was dependent on them to be with me. I was more comfortable being around tons of people. College taught me to be more independent. I learned to stand on my own and not be afraid to be in a place without anyone else or in a place where I didn’t know anyone else. College helped me learn to be more secure with being myself and with being alone.

College also taught me to get real when it came to school work. You know how in high school (well for me at least) teachers always ran after you if you missed an assignment or a project and they always gave you chances to make up for it? Well, college was the total opposite. Granted I met and had a lot of very considerate and nice teachers, most of them don’t really care. They don’t care if you have 5 other exams on that day (you end up missing those circulars that you got in high school and grade school about your FIXED exam week) and they treat their subject like it’s the only one you’re taking. College taught me to learn to cope with the stresses of school more, and helped me realize that even in the working world, my boss won’t give me an easier time because I have so much to do. I have to get things done when I need to get them done. No excuses.

College is a time where you miss SLEEPING :’(

Okay so maybe I’ve never actually had to pull an “All Nighter” in my college life (I always ended up falling asleep and then waking up at an odd hour to finish work) but you really do sleep less. I learned, however, that the school work isn’t the only thing that keeps you from sleeping in or early- the events and other commitments you make add to it as well. … But let’s focus on the school work first. I can honestly say that I blame my lack of sleep in college to the fact that there were some projects and assignments that I pulled off till the last minute (sorry teachers for some of the mediocre work) and sometimes it was just because there was SO MUCH to do on that day (teachers really don’t care if you have a lot of things to do, promise). College taught me that one can run on sheer will power (and tons of coffee to help). Also that one can accomplish so much in one night (especially when it’s due the next day).

A benefit, I can say about losing sleep/sleeping super late in college is that you meet and end up befriending the funniest people. You get to get closer to your friends who are staying up all night with you. I’ve had dozens of angry “Why is this happening to us - I hate our teacher - Oh My God My EYES ARE DYING” YM conversations and cell phones calls throughout my college life and I know I’m definitely going to miss them when I leave :’(

College is a time where you learn to laugh- instead of cry

My college life definitely has not been the perfect movie-type college life of a person. It’s so far from it. I’ve lost tons of people I once thought were my friends to some of the stupidest and smallest reasons. Do I miss them? Of course. Do I wish to fix things with them? Yeah, why not. Do I wish none of the horrible things happened? NO.

I’ve learned, thanks to a lot of my experiences, that things happen for reasons that sometimes we don’t understand now, but will later on. I’ve learned that some things just need to happen and we need to lose certain people in our lives. I’ve learned that there really will be people that will insult you, hurt you, betray you and go out of their way to make you feel horrible. But what I also learned was, there are so many people in college that will make you laugh and smile, way more than cry.

… it’s also a time where you learn to say f*ck it and move on

Like I said, a lot of sh*t can happen to you, especially in college (not that I wish that upon anyone and if your college life was filled with rainbows and unicorns then GOOD FOR YOU! I’m glad your college life was amazing and BV free) but it teaches you to develop thicker skin. To be a bigger and better person than the other. To learn to shrug it off, and only care about the things that truly matter- the things that you know will help make you a better person.

College is a time to experiment - Where you try the stupidest and craziest things

FIRST OF ALL I AM NOT IN ANY WAY PROMOTING DRUGS, ALCOHOL OR SMOKING IN THIS PART. They are NOT cool and DON’T make you look badass or awesome. It’s a bad bad vice that can develop into an addiction!

But yes, college is a time where you really do try all these different things. I became a heavy smoker in college, mainly because I had more freedom to do so. Also, a lot of my friends back then were smokers too- even some of my exes. I finally quit smoking (yay me) back in the last few months of 2010 and I’m trying hard to make sure I never smoke again. I also got to ride my very first motorcycle in my freshman year of college! It was crazy and fun but super stupid of me when I think back. I was in the shortest shorts possible, slippers and NO HELMET. Good job 2008 Karla, good job.

Just think of it this way, in college, you really do get more freedom. You have a certain number of cuts per subject, teachers that don’t check attendance, your own car and late nights that are supposed to be devoted to getting work done instead of going out for a drink. But you do end up doing these things. And that’s fine. What I’ve learned is just to treat these “vices”/guilty pleasures like a diet. Everything in moderation. Just make sure your grades don’t suffer and you don’t jeopardize your safety and life in anyway.

College is a time to develop a sense of school spirit

First of all, school spirit isn’t just about attending as many UAAP/NCAA games as you can, no. School Spirit is about being proud and supportive of your school in every and any way you can. From writing contests, to debates, basketball games to track meets, being proud of your school can be manifested in so many ways.

The reason why I learned this was because, let me first say, Ateneo was NOT my dream school (shocked? HAHA) Since I was little, I always wanted to go to La Salle for college. My whole family, especially my Dad’s side, are die hard and blue bleeding Ateneans. Everyone in that family came from Ateneo. I wanted to be different, I wanted to be the cool one and go to the rival school (okay not just because of that, but because of the courses that Lasalle offered) I was super happy when I had gotten accepted to DLSU in the course I had wanted (LIACOM- Advertising Management) and I was set on going. When the Ateneo results came out shortly after and I found out I got in (in my first choice as well, BS Legal Management) my heart sank. I knew that I had to go to Ateneo. And sure enough, my dad told me I had to. I had no choice.

I thought I was going to hate it in Ateneo and for the first few months I did. I didn’t think it was the school for me. But boy, was I wrong. I learned to love my school and everything about it. From the campus to the teachers to the no aircon classrooms (okay, I only HALF love that part), I can’t see myself in any other school. I learned to be as supportive as I could be for my school and I’m happy to call it my college.

College Parties. ‘Nuff Said.

… Kagulo. Okay, I’m done. College parties are awesome. They’re fun. Go to them. Go to as many as you can. DO IT. ;)

College is a place to get your heart broken and still be able to find love :)

Since I was never allowed to go out with boys back in high school, I made sure to go out and meet as many people as I could in college. I fell in love numerous times in college, believing that it was really love (and who knows, maybe it really was) but I also got my heart broken quite a number of times.

I used to be so envious of those girls in high school who had boyfriends who they would go on dates with and buy gifts for and receive gifts from- I learned in college that in the end it isn’t about the places you go for dates or the number of gifts you buy- it’s the emotional, spiritual and mental connection you have with that special person. College taught me not to be afraid to get my heart broken. It taught me that if I was once happy in that relationship, then it was worth the hurt I felt when it ended.

College taught me that I need to love myself before I can truly love anyone. It taught me that I need to be able to stand on my own and know who I am as a person before getting involved with anyone else. College taught me that there is a VERY BIG difference between being ALONE and being LONELY.

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Okay wow, I know I’ve said too much and for that, I’m sorry. I just really needed to let all this out before studying for my last and FINAL orals tomorrow for Philo (see, instead of studying I’m blogging, WAY TO GO KARLA! HAHA) Hope you enjoyed this entry in some way, and if you’re reading this and have a big test to study for: GO BACK TO STUDYING AND USE THE INTERNET WHEN YOU’RE DONE ONLY Haha :p

Wish me luck! Last day of college tomorrow! :)